50 things you don't know about non-fiction storytelling (for journalists, educators and communicators of non-fiction)

50 narrative devices for non-fiction storytellers

WWW.INSIDETHESTORY.ORG

STORY DESIGN

IN 2013 I PUBLISHED FOUR EDITIONS OF A LONG-FORM WEB QUARTERLY CALLED “INSIDE THE STORY MAGAZINE”

IT FEATURED ESSAYS AND MASTERCLASSES ON THE CRAFT OF NARRATIVE PLUS INTERVIEWS WITH THE BEST NON FICTION STORYTELLERS WORKING TODAY.

HERE ARE 50 THINGS I LEARNED ABOUT HOW GOOD, NON-FICTION STORIES ARE DESIGNED, TOLD AND SHARED.

IN A WORLD GETTING MORE COMPLEX AND FAST MOVING ALL THE TIME, THE NEED FOR GOOD OBJECTIVE STORYTELLING IS MORE VITAL THAN EVER.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MAGAZINES

http://www.insidethestory.org

BUT WAIT, WHAT’S STORY DESIGN?In a well designed story everything happens for a purpose: to support the point of the story. It is intentionally deciding what to keep in your story, and more importantly what to throw out. It’s about intentionally giving certain narrative elements more volume, and quietening others.

It is about taking a disciplined, methodical and objective approach to storytelling.

WWW.INSIDETHESTORY.ORGw

There are no hard and fast rules to good storytelling, but there are principles. Discipline matters. Discipline is hard.

it’s PRINCIPLES NOT RULES1


Factual storytellers can and should use story design techniques to weave more engaging narratives. Don’t fear fables.

don’t be afraid to spin a yarn2


Scientists know our brains react to stories, releasing neurochemicals like Oxytocin, Dopamine, and ACTH. Well made narratives play with these releases to engage our brains emotionally and intellectually.

STUDY HOW THE BRAIN REACTS TO STORIES

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Meanwhile mirror neurones in our brains allow us to empathise with others and their experiences. Empathy is one of the most important powers of story.

TO EMPATHISE IS TO BE HUMAN4


The best stories are timeless and universal.No matter what they’re about, they are told in a way that can speak to someone on the other side of the world, and 500 years from now. In our real-time world, this matters even more.

TELL TIMELESS STORIES5


The best stories say something meaningful about the world. Not necessarily in a literal way, but in the meaning hidden inside the narrative. They say “life is like THIS!” Pursue this meaning; don’t tell stories for story’s sake

stories say “LIFE IS LIKE THIS!!”6


Be honest, patient and live a little. We all have something to say, but it often requires a bit of living to figure it out.

“How vain is it to sit down to write, when you have not stood up to live?” HENRY DAVID THOREAU

WHAT IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY?

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The meaning, theme or “controlling idea” of your story ought to be revealed, emotionally, in the climax.Even if your story is about the science of quantum fluctuations this should still be the case.

MEANING IS REVEALED IN THE CLIMAX

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The storyteller has always told the objective truth of the age. This may involve being unpopular or vulnerable: it is rare and therefore very important.

TELL THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH 9


There’s a myth that people like stories to escape the real world. In fact, it is the opposite. In a such a confusing, fast-changing world, people actually pursue stories for meaning and connection. This is what the good storyteller provides.

STORY ≠ ESCAPISM10


Books, cinema, radio then television created a world where the audience silently consumed stories.The days of the silent audience are over. It was just a blip. We’re going back to vaudeville days of noisy interaction. Embrace it.

THE AUDIENCE ARE PART OF THE PROCESS

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So our audience want to be involved in our stories now. That means thinking about their journey as they consume your work. Story needs UX design as much as an app.

THE “USER EXPERIENCE OF STORY” MATTERS

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The real masters understand the UX of their story. “How will my audience be feeling at this moment?” Hitchcock knew it best. He could play on the audience’s emotions and guessing-machines to take them on a real journey.Non-fiction storytellers must master this too.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK: UX DESIGNER13


Our way of storytelling is a very western one. The three-act structure emerged from ancient Greek individualism and has stuck around ever since.But there are others. Have you ever heard of KitShuTenKetsu? It’s a Japanese story form. Issue 2 of the magazine reveals more.

HAVE YOU HEARD OF KITSHUTENKETSU?

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Good storytellers test their work on colleagues, friends & family. The key question they ask: “where did you lose interest?”

GET AUDIENCE FEEDBACK ON YOUR STORIES

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We can use symbols & codes to engage the audience’s subconscious and connect on a deeper level.This is powerful but they must never be explicitly stated. Subtlety is essential.

SUBTLE SYMBOLISM16


This comes back to meaning and the “controlling idea”.“Up” is not film about a floating house. It’s really about grief. There is no house. What’s your story really about?

what’s your story really about?

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Mythical gods and superhumans are not just fictional. They are metaphors for us mere mortals living our fullest lives.This is everyone’s greatest wish (and fear) which is why it’s such a potent theme.

HEROES AND GODS REALLY EXIST18


No matter the subject, you should always be able to capture your story in a sentence or two, max. It helps you focus.Aim for something simple but rich in meaning.

THE BEST IDEAS: SIMPLE BUT PROFOUND

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Meaningful storytelling requires vulnerability. Don’t hide behind hipster irony, humour, or shy away from emotion.We use stories to connect. Don’t put a barrier between you and your audience.

HIPSTERS NOT WELCOME20


Characters are driven by wants (conscious) and needs (subconscious). These two desires get your character of bed each day and are the cause of forward motion in the story.This is true in non-fiction as much as fiction.

character = WANTS + NEEDS21


So when people are telling you “their story”, listen. What are they really telling you? Their subconscious reveals itself through their words and actions. It’s the real-life equivalent of subtext, a core dramatic concept.

WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER need?

22


People in real life wear masks to protect their real feelings and vulnerability.Masks peeling away is a dramatic device, that can be used in non-fiction too. Ask yourself: what’s your character’s mask?

THE MASK23


Protagonist & Antagonist are dramatic terms, but they can be applied to real world if we think less literally.

GOOD GUYS + BAD GUYS24


For example, antagonists don’t have to be evil, just obstructive to the main character’s desire to achieve something.Appreciating dramatic devices as metaphors allows non-fiction storytellers to use them as well.

darth vadar, metaphor25


Indiana Jones was terrified of snakes. Highlight your character’s foibles, flaws and fears to reflect the complex nature of people.True too: the best antagonists are the heroes in their own story. Screenwriters know this well, and journalists should too.

FALLIBLE HEROES ARE THE MOST COMPELLING

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Characters also don’t have to be human. Animals, objects, weather, disease and technology can all be characters.

character as animal, vegetable, mineral

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Conflict exists on many levels, but there is one level more universal than the others. Every character, real or made up, is driven by inner conflict. Reveal it in your story and you touch your audience more deeply.

THE sEVEN circles oF HELL CONFLICT

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Many are skeptical about that last idea, but it’s true our greatest enemy is ourself.

Ever heard yourself say “I’m not good enough”?That’s your subsconscious Resistance in conflict with your wants and needs.

ENOUGH PSYCHO-BABBLE THANKYOU

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Almost everyone has a deep fear of some kind. And it drives their actions or holds them back from acting.

It’s amazing how many conflicts come down to this.

snakes, spiders and commitment

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Peeling back the layers of your character makes for a more authentic and compelling story. Subtlety is important again, you don’t want to make it obvious or do it too quickly.

YOUR CHARACTER, THE ONION31


Be careful though, you’re dealing with real people, so be sensitive. Above all, it requires an ability to listen.

“People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the

world is also a confession of character.”

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

HUMAN BEINGS: HANDLE WITH CARE

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Most Controlling Ideas of stories are universal: they speak to everyone.

Some universal themes which widen your appeal: hope, hate, jealousy, fear, self doubt, vulnerability, fear of failure, death...

UNIVERSAL THEMES33


What’s the most popular tag on Cowbird ?

Love.

People love love stories. It’s the universal language.

ONE THEME TO RULE THEM ALL34


Here’s another classic story trope people love (in fic-tion and non fiction): the “we almost lost everything and gave up” moment.Take a look at the popular story of Sugru, the innovative British start-up. It has that moment in spades.

THE “ALL IS LOST” MOMENT35


Did you know 20% of YouTube viewers click away before 10 seconds. Of 1million views, 200,000 didn’t watch past the first 10 seconds!

That’s all the time you have to grab ‘em. Make it count.

JUST GIVE ME TEN SECONDS36


A simple story tactic: put your best bit first, even if it doesn’t make sense.It’ll hook people in and then you can use the rest of the story to explain what’s going on.

WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!37


Here’s a good way to shorten longer, slower parts of your stories, borrowed from screenwriters.

Arrive late, and leave early. A scene that is. Arrive once the conversation’s started and force the audience to piece it together.

BE THE UNPOPULAR PARTY GUEST38


I know this strategy risks confusing your audience - but that forces them to ask questions, and keeps them interested.

Counterintuitive I know, that’s why it’s smart!

BUT THAT’s NOT HOW JOURNALISM WOrKS!

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And herein lies the real challenge to non-fiction storytellers: dare you withhold information for a bit to weave a good yarn?

If it makes you feel better, there’s a science to why it works.

BUT IT’S HOW GOOD STORYTELLING WORKS

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Which brings us to the best device in any storyteller’s toolkit.

SURPRISE!

WAIT FOR IT....41


Going back to the first tips about neuroscience: we know that surprising people releases addictive Dopamine in their brains.We can use another device, Intermittent Reinforcement to create expectation for more.

THE MASTER OF SURPRISE42


So surprise your audience early on and they’ll be hooked waiting for the next twist.

There’s lot of interesting research into this, go seek it out!

WITH A TWIST OF MELON43


For 150 years journalists have relied on the Invert-ed Pyramid as their story structure. “Don’t bury the lede!”But a new world demands more engaging stories.So go on, bury the lede, make your audience do the work.

GO on, BURY THE LEDE44


Oh by the way, want a lesson in good visual storytelling?

Watch the first 30 seconds of Super8. Learn how to show and not tell.

DAYS SINCE THE LAST WORKPLACE ACCIDENT:

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Here’s the crux: there is no shortcut to good storytelling, just years of practice, failure and study of the discipline.

Don’t skimp on that last bit.

AND NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS46


You might fly three times a year, but you don’t think you’re an airline pilot do you?

You’re not a storyteller because you go to the movies. Respect & study the principles to make conscious narrative decisions. That is story design.

EVERYONE’S AN AIRLINE PILOT47


The world is getting more complicated every day.

The need for objective truth is more important than ever.

Stories matter.

AND NOW FOR THE IMPORTANT NEWS

48


Forget hipster docs about vintage printmakers.

Tell stories which shine a light on our age and make us uncomfortable.

It’s really difficult, but so important.

NO-oNE CARES ABOUT YOUR DEPTH-of-fIELD

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Among the listicles, the real-time updates and the monkeys in trousers there’s a huge opportunity to tell compelling stories that reflect the truths our time. If that excites you even a bit, make it your mission.

Now, get busy!

WHEN EVERYONE’s A STORYTELLER, BE THE BEST

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IF YOU TAKE YOUR STORYTELLING SERIOUSLY YOU CAN READ ALL FOUR

ISSUES OF INSIDE THE STORY MAGAZINE ONLINE NOW.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MAGAZINES


INSIDE YOU’LL FIND:

Four masterclasses on the craft of story, including how to open your story, how to use progression to build to a climax and how to tell stories in pictures.

Interviews with award-winning non-fiction storytellers like Soren Wheeler (RadioLab), Everynone, Brent Hoff, Bobette Buster, and Mo Scarpelli.

Insightful essays on the craft of narrative building.

A primer in interactive storytelling and how to build immersive narratives.

The only guide I’ve found to how visual storytelling really works.

Adam Westbrook is the editor of Inside the Story Magazine, a quarterly web publication for non-fiction storytellers.

Through HotPursuit Press he is a publisher of web documentaries and ebooks

He is fascinated about helping people rediscover learning through video and other innovative publishing projects.

Find out more

www.adamwestbrook.co.uk@AdamWestbrook

IMAGE © JOHN THOMPSON



http://www.hotpursuit.co

http://www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

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50 things you don't know about non-fiction storytelling (for journalists, educators and communicators of non-fiction)